Shabbat Greetings

This week’s Torah portion, Bereishit (Genesis 1:1 – 6:8), marks the beginning of the Torah, the beginning of everything. It is a story of creation, of separation, and of longing for repair. We read how God forms the world out of chaos, distinguishes between light and darkness, land and sea, life and death. There is beauty, but also brokenness. Almost immediately, humanity stumbles. Cain rises against Abel, and we begin to understand how fragile life is and how deeply we need healing and hope.

This week, as we read the beginning once again, we are not only starting a new cycle of Torah; we are also holding the complexity of our present reality. Some of our brothers and sisters, hostages, have returned home. We rejoice. We cry tears of gratitude and relief. But alongside that joy is a deep, unyielding pain: for those who remain still in Gaza, for the families of those whose bodies have not yet been returned. There is a deep moral wound still open.

After Cain kills Abel, God asks him: “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain responds, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Torah’s silence is powerful. God does not answer with a yes or no. Instead, God says, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”

We are, in fact, our siblings’ keepers. We must be. And their blood still cries out, not just the blood of those murdered, but also the voices of those still unheard, the remains not yet brought to rest, the pain still unresolved. Bereishit also reminds us that creation is not a one-time act; it is ongoing. Every day, we participate in the re-creation of the world through justice, compassion, and truth. God creates light from darkness. We, too, are called to bring light into this dark chapter. We cannot settle for partial redemption. We rejoice for those who are home and we remain steadfast in demanding the return of all who are not.

In the face of loss, we also remember that the Torah does not begin with commandments or laws; it begins with relationships, with the sacredness of each human life created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. Every life matters. Every soul is worthy of dignity, in life and in death. So as we begin the Torah again, let us carry both joy and sorrow, celebration and resolve. Let us pray and act for a full return for all. Let us be our siblings’ keepers, committed to bringing light, wholeness, and justice to a broken world.

SHABBAT SHALOM